Cadmium (Cd)
"The Poison Painter, a villain who creates brilliant colors but is highly toxic."
A memorable persona to anchor Cd in your mind.
8.65
Grams per cm³
321.069
Celsius (°C)
158
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
Cadmium is found in old, bright yellow or red paints.
Discovery & History
Year Discovered
1817
Discovered By
Friedrich Stromeyer
Origin of Name
"The name is derived from the Latin 'cadmia', the name for the mineral calamine."
Technical Properties
Atomic Mass
112.414 u
Standard State
solid
Boiling Point
767°C
Electron Configuration
[Kr] 4d105s2
1st Ionization Energy
8.994 eV
Electron Affinity
N/A
Oxidation States
"Cadmium is a soft, bluish-white, toxic metal."
Did You Know?
The first rechargeable batteries, nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries, used cadmium as a key component.
Cadmium compounds can produce brilliant yellow, orange, and red pigments, which were widely used in paints and plastics.
Cadmium is highly toxic and a known human carcinogen, and its use is now heavily restricted in many countries.
It is an excellent neutron absorber, so it has been used to make control rods for nuclear reactors.